Album Review: The Gaslight Anthem Get Hurt

Ten seconds into Stay Vicious and you know The Gaslight Anthem are here to make a statement.

Instead of growing bitter, however, just embrace the change and celebrate a redesigned American classic.

The boys are swinging and hitting immediately, dragging you through the mud with down-tuned ‘90s-aping riffs, and although Get Hurt never again gets as heavy as those first few bars, it stands as a warning shot – things are different this time around.

Extremes are explored across this fifth LP from the New Jersey quartet – from the aforementioned opening alt. excursion all the way to the languid title track, an unapologetic FM ballad which sees frontman Brian Fallon sounding more fractured and reflective than ever. But as much as their rock sound is evolving, some things with Gaslight will always remain true.

Fallon’s lyrics continue to play out like a romantic ‘60s Hollywood script. He’s found new range vocally, but love lost, hearts won and battles fought remain the prevalent themes here. Alex Rosamilia’s cutting lead guitar, meanwhile, proves to be the star once more. Although keys bring real moments of beauty and emotion in songs like Underneath The Ground and during the graduating intro of Selected Poems, it’s Rosamilia’s time in the spotlight throughout Stray Paper and rabblerousing closer Dark Places which will elicit shivers time and time again.

Certain pockets of fans will cry “Judas” when they hear Get Hurt, but that’s probably been the case with every Gaslight release following 2008’s The ’59 Sound. Instead of growing bitter, however, just embrace the change and celebrate a redesigned American classic.